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Friday, March 13, 2015

The First Listen: Madonna - Rebel Heart

The music of Madonna sort of spans my existence on this earth. When she released her first album, I wasn't born yet. When she was getting her erotica on in the 90s, I wasn't allowed to listen to her. And when she re-emerged at the turn of the century, I didn't give it much of a thought, thinking that she was trying to be younger than she was. Those were my TRL years. I'm not entirely proud of the things I listened to then. But now with her thirteenth studio album Rebel Heart, she's the kinda artist I want to listen to.

The album begins with the single "Living for Love" and takes it from there.

While I know that Madonna certainly doesn't want to be labeled, you can break up the songs on this album in a couple of different ways. First, there are the contemplative, serene tunes and the fun dance-your-butt-off tracks. If you want to go zen, try listening to "Devil Pray," "Ghosttown," or "Joan of Arc." If you are more interested in shaking it all night long, try a playlist with "Living for Love," "Unapologetic Bitch," or "Hold Tight" on it.

When the content of the lyrics are more your thing, Madonna gives you a range of her classic themes that include religion, sex and having that attitude--bold and brazen, yet very real. Along with what you would expect from Madonna lyrically, she also has that same voice you can hear in all of her earlier work. Most artists with such as wide-ranging career either have to deal with vocal changes are create them, but she hits every note just right. If you've enjoyed Madonna in the past, this album delivers everything you could ever want. New to Madonna? You'll enjoy dancing the night away to Rebel Heart.